Thursday, July 14, 2016

Clearly I've been spirited off by the siren of summer, but that wasn't before my father and I finished the roof (front of house we started in May).

The roof is great now, having undone the fraudulent work of the previous roofers. We still have a shed to do, but it's not an emergency. After that one, I think I might retire from the roofing business.

The ladyfriend and I are now in Nova Scotia, enjoying our new cottage and making it our own slowly but surely. I've got three knitting projects on my needles at the moment. My new guideline for my WIPs is as follow - three is the magic number (if you can, please sing De La Soul here), one has to be a TV/car knit (aka no need to look at or keep track of much), one should be more technical/interesting, and one should be for the upcoming season (I'd like to be ahead of the game every once in awhile). Of course one project might meet two guidelines, like the John Galliano sweater that was published by British Elle in 1986 (back in the day when they had knitting patterns - oh the glory days!) is for fall/winter and has a traveling cable and unique construction.

I'm using some vintage yarn that came with matching tweed fabric (!) that I bought on eBay a hundred years ago. There were supposed to be patterns with it, but they were not included. I'm playing a little yarn chicken as I don't know how many yards I have of the stuff, but I'll be okay with 3/4 length sleeves should it come to that.

The other sweaters I'm working on are a simple, in-the-round, sweater for my mother (per her instructions and choice of yarn) and Pasture, by Annie Rowden, which I'm absolutely loving.

It's not only the easy shape that is appealing; it's the yarn from Woolen Rabbit - a blend of merino, silk, and cashmere. I've got the body almost finished; just waiting for the needle I forgot to bring to arrive in the post. Such is life!

I have plans to unravel a cardigan I made years ago but have never been happy with the fit of to make a pattern from the most recent (and first) issue of Making.

Additional crafty ambitions I have while at the cottage are to work on Shake-n-Make's English paper piecing project for our Hand of Craft show next year and the Gallery tunic. I also have the pieces for the Alabama Chanin sampler quilt (from the first book) here, which I consider an ongoing cottage-based project.

I'm looking to the time here as an opportunity for making in all its forms. I'll be working on stories as well and canning and cooking and living the life I'm constantly crafting for myself. It's a luxury to have this time and space, and I plan to enjoy every moment of it.